The Summit Winds have performed together as military musicians throughout the Colorado Springs area, performing for military ceremonies, elementary- through college-age students, and community outreach events. This is their first performance as a civilian ensemble.
Mary Stahlhuth is an oboist from Jefferson City, MO, who began playing the oboe at age 12 and knew by 13 that it would be a lifelong passion. She earned a B.M. in Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and an M.M. in Orchestral Studies from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, studying with Lora Schaefer, Barb Bishop, and Dan Willett. As a freelancer in Chicago, she performed with several area orchestras, including the Illinois Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, and the Chicago Symphony. Since 2019, she has served as a U.S. Army musician in Tacoma, WA; Waynesville, MO; and Colorado Springs, CO. Outside of music, she enjoys drinking tea, reading, and spending time in nature.
Sonja Larson was born in Misawa, Japan, to a military family and grew up living around the world. She began playing bassoon in middle school and continued through high school. From 2010–2014, she earned a B.M. in Music Education from Washington State University, studying with Dr. Ryan Hare. She completed her M.M. in Bassoon Performance at Ithaca College in 2017, studying with Dr. Lee Goodhew Romm and Mr. Glenn Einschlag. That same year, she enlisted in the U.S. Army as a musician, taking lessons with Dr. Derek Bannasch at the Army School of Music. Over the past eight years, she has performed in concert bands, wind quintets, and small ensembles in South Korea, Texas, and Colorado Springs, where she currently lives with her husband, Andrew, and their cats, Queen City and Invercargill.
Lisa Guile is an El Paso, Texas native and completed a Bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 2016. After completing her schooling at UTEP, Lisa performed locally in the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, El Paso Opera, and El Paso Wind Symphony. Her primary flute instructors were Mrs. Alma Beach, Mrs. Barbara Lambrecht, and Dr. Melissa Colgin-Abeln. Lisa has also performed as a military musician in San Antonio, Texas; Sembach, Germany; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Outside of music, Lisa enjoys fitness, running, reading, and cooking.
John Stumpff is originally from Greenville, PA, where he received his B.M.E. from Westminster College (PA) and his M.M. in Clarinet Performance from Youngstown State University in Ohio. He performed at Carnegie Hall with the YSU Wind Ensemble and recorded numerous pieces for the ensemble’s NAXOS discography. Prior to joining the U.S. Army Bands in 2020, John was an active freelance musician and educator in the Ohio Valley, holding positions with the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Opera Western Reserve, and South Side Area Schools. He also served as co-principal clarinetist in the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival Orchestra for the award-winning productions of Don Giovanni and The Mikado. His primary teachers include Ms. Deborah Alexander, Mr. Dan Heasley, and Dr. Alice Wang. Outside of work, John can be found climbing mountains, skiing, or road cycling.
Ryan Valencia is a French horn player from El Paso, Texas. He studied horn under Richard Lambrecht at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), earning a Bachelor’s in Music Education in 2021. While at UTEP he performed in the Marching Band, Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra and Horn Choir and performed at the Midwest Clinic and American Bandmaster Association conventions. In 2021, Ryan enlisted in the U.S. Army to be a musician. He has served in Army Bands in Tacoma, Washington, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. While in the Army, he has performed in the Kingdom of Thailand and the Commonwealth of Australia. Ryan loves to hike, ski, and take wildlife photography.
